Ripple Labs Inc., a blockchain-focused fintech firm, has announced that it is applying for a U.S. banking license, positioning itself for potential compliance as lawmakers advance legislation to bring stablecoin issuers under federal oversight. The move mirrors a similar step recently taken by Circle Internet Financial.
Ripple is seeking a banking license from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), CEO Brad Garlinghouse confirmed in a July 2 post on X. Garlinghouse stated that, if approved, the license would place Ripple under both state and federal oversight, a move he described as a ānew benchmark for trust in the stablecoin market.ā
āWhile Congress is working towards clear rules and regulations, and banks (in a far cry from the years of Operation Chokepoint 2.0) are leaning in, this access would allow us to hold $RLUSD reserves directly with the Fed and provide an additional layer of security to future proof trust in RLUSD,ā Garlinghouse wrote.
Rippleās decision to pursue a banking license comes on the heels of Circleās application to the OCC to establish a national trust bank responsible for managing its stablecoin reserves.
Related: Crypto Titans Bunker Down Now: Vitalik’s Austerity Vow, Binance $1B Bitcoin Shield
Jeremy Allaire, Circleās co-founder, chairman, and CEO, characterized the companyās effort to establish a national digital currency trust bank as a significant milestone in advancing a more transparent, inclusive, and digitally native financial system.
The latest developments from both firms come just over two weeks after the U.S. Senate passed the GENIUS Act, a bill aimed at regulating stablecoins by establishing clear standards for issuing U.S. dollar-pegged tokens. Ripple and Circle each offer such assets: RLUSD and USDC, respectively.
āRipple always has and will continue to build trusted, battle-tested and secure infrastructure,ā Garlinghouse wrote. āIn a $250B+ market, RLUSD stands out for putting regulation first, setting the standard that institutions expect,ā he added.
As competition in the stablecoin space intensifies, industry players are positioning themselves for a future defined by tighter oversight and institutional demand. How companies adapt to evolving regulatory expectations may determine not just market share, but long-term relevance in a rapidly transforming global financial ecosystem.
Related: Privacy Confirmed: Advanced FHE Coming To All Shiba Inu Tokens
Following the announcement, the price of XRP, the digital asset developed by Ripple, stood at $2.28 at the time of writing, representing a 3.88% increase over the past 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
